Electrical clock movement

ABSTRACT

A balance wheel driven electrical clock movement having its second, minute and hour shafts arranged on a single arbor and having its intermediate wheel and pinion mechanisms, which respectively interconnect the second and minute shafts and the minute and hour shafts, mounted on a second arbor disposed parallel to the arbor of the shafts and spaced laterally thereof.

United States Patent 1191 Wolber 1111 3,857,235 1 Dec. 31, 1974 ELECTRICAL CLOCK MOVEMENT Inventor: Robert Wolber, Lauterbach/Wurtt,

Germany Firma Gebruder Junghans G.m.b.H.

Filed: Aug. 1, 1972 Appl. No.: 277,514

Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 144,625, May 18, 1971, abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 680,069, Nov. 2, 1967, abandoned, which is a division of Ser. No. 471,207, July 12, 1965, Pat. No. 3.375.653.

Assignee:

us. or. ss/23 1), 58/28 R, 58/140 [58] Field of Search 58/7, 23 R, 23 D, 26 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,864,231 12/1968 Springer ..58/23R rm. c1. G046 3/04, 0041) 13/02 3/1961 Krassoievitch et a1 58/23 R X 7/1961 Jensen 58/28 D Primary Examiner-Edith Simmons Jackmon Attorney, Agent, or FirmWatson, Cole, Grindle & Watson [57] ABSTRACT A balance wheel driven electrical clock movement having its second, minute and hour shafts arranged on a single arbor and having its intermediate wheel and pinion mechanisms, which respectively interconnect the second and minute shafts and the minute and hour shafts, mounted on a second arbor disposed parallel to thearbor of the shafts and spaced laterally thereof.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures 1 ELECTRICAL CLOCK MOVEMENT This is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 144,625, filed May 18, 1971, which is now abandoned which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 680,069, filed Nov. 2, 1967, now abandoned which is a division of application Ser. No. 471,207 which is now U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,653

The present invention relates to balance whee-l driven electrical clock movements.

Such clock movements are known per se. The invention is based on the problem of designing a movement of this kind in such manner that, while it exhibits satisfactory operating qualities, it can also be manufactured simply and with the minimum expenditure. Consequently, it is one of the objects of the invention to so arrange the wheel mechanism of a clock of the type mentioned that it requires little space and can be mounted with only a few bearing points.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a clock'movement whichis adapted for mounting in a plastic case and which can be secured therein in a sim ple manner, without warping or buckling of the bearing plates which might result in increased bearing friction or even in jamming.

The invention provides a clock movement of the type described wherein all of the wheels and pinions, with the exception of the stepping wheel and its pinion, are arranged for rotation about only two arbors, one of which is the common arbor for the second, minute and hour shafts.

In the drawingsi FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevational view illustrating an electric timepiece movement which embodies the principles and concepts of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is'a cross-sectional elevational view illustrating a second embodiment of the invention.

An electric timepiece movement which embodies the concepts and principles of the instant invention is illustrated in the drawings and comprises a front bearing plate 10, a rear bearing'plate ll spaced from plate and a ratchet and stepping wheel 12 driven by a bal ance wheel (not shown). A stepping wheel pinion 13 is rigid with wheel 12 for rotation therewith about a common axis between plates 10 and 11. Apart from stepping wheel l2'and pinion 13, all of the other wheels and pinions of the movement are disposed for rotation on only two arbors which are (l) the common arbor of the hands shafts and (2) the arbor 14. A shaft for rotating the second hand of the timepiece is designated by the numeral 15. Second shaft 15 is mounted with one end 15a thereof rotatably mounted in plate 11 and with its 'other end rotatably mounted in jewel bearing 16 disposed within a hollow, generally cylindrical shaft 17 which is operable for rotating the minute hand of the timepiece. v

Pressed onto the end 15a of shaft 15 is a second pinion 18 which is rigid with a second wheel 19. Manifestly, second shaft 15, second wheel 19 and second pinion 18 are rigidly interconnected for rotation in unison about their common axes. For this purpose wheel 19 is meshed with pinion 13 to be driven thereby. Fitted between wheel 19 and plate 11 is a spring disc 20 for preventing axial displacement of the shaft 15. A polished steel disc 21 is disposed between pinion l8 and the end 17a of shaft 17 to prevent pinion 18 from biting into end 17a.

, A minute pinion 22 is pressed onto shaft 17 for rotating of the hands of, the timepiece. Alternatively, the

non-positive connection could be disposed on arbor 14 to permit slippagebetwccn a wheel 26 and pinion 27 which form a first intermediate wheel and pinion mechanism for mechanically interconnecting the second pinion 18 and the minute wheel 23. For this purpose wheel 26 meshes with pinion l8 and pinion 27 meshes with wheel 23. Wheel 26 and pinion 27 are normally interconnected for rotation together about the axis of arbor 14.

A second intermediate wheel and pinion mechanism mechanically interconnects minute pinion 22 and an hour wheel 31) and comprises a wheel 28 which meshes with pinion 22 and a pinion 29 which-meshes with hour wheel 30, the latter being pressed onto one end of a generally cylindrical hour wheel shaft 31 for coaxial rotation therewith. Shaft 31 is mounted for rotation within shaft 31. Wheel 28 and pinion 29 are normally rigidly interconnected for rotation together about the axis of a'rbor 14. A disc 32 is provided between pinion 27 and gear 28 to prevent pinion 27 and gear 28, which are relatively rotatable, from cutting into each other.

Arbor 14 extends between plates 10 and 11, is disposed in parallelismwith shafts 15, 17 and 31 and is spaced laterally from the latter in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, and 17a of minute shaft 17 is mounted for rotation in a bearing, in an intermediate bridge 33 disposed between plates 10 and 11. In FIG. 1, wheel 30 is disposed between plate 10 and bridge 33 while wheel 23 and pinion 22 are mounted between wheel 30 and bridge 33. Also, wheel 19 and pinion 18 are disposed between bridge 33 and plate 11. Further, bridge 33 at least-partially embraces arbor 14.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, no intermediate bridge is provided. On the contrary, the center wheel shaft 17 is mounted on second shaft 15 with the aid of a jewel bearing 34 disposed within end 17a of shaft 17. Apart fromthis, the movement arrangement corresponds to that of FIG. 1.

We claim:

1. A movement for a balance wheel driven electric timepiece comprising:

a front bearing plate;

a rear bearing plate spaced from said front bearing plate;

an intermediate bfidge disposed between said plates;

a generally cylindrical hour shaft mounted for rotation in said front bearing plate;

an hour wheel coaxially mounted on one end of the hour shaft between the front bearing plate and the bridge for rotation with the hour shaft;

a generally cylindrical minute shaft mounted for rotation within said hour shaft and in said bridge;

a minute wheel and a minute pinion coaxially mounted on said minute shaft between the hour wheel and the bridge for rotation with the minute shaft;

a second intermediate wheel and pinion mechanism mounted for rotation on the axis ot said arbor and mechanically interconnecting the minute pinion and the hour wheel,

said mechanisms being relatively rotatable and disposed between the plates; and

a balance wheel driven ratchet and stepping wheel mechanism rotatably mounted between said plates,

said mechanism being connected to the second wheel for driving the latter to operate the entire UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EERTTFTCATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,857,235 Dated December 31, 1974 O I Robert Wolber It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the Title page of the patent, the following information should be added: Foreign Application Priority Data July 15, 1964 Germany...J 12 853/8310 Signed and Stalcd this D second Day Of September 1975 [SEAL] Arrest:

. RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer (mnmissiuner oj'larenjs and Trademarks FQRM PC4050 USCOMM-DC 60376-1 69 W U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1959 0*365'334, 

1. A movement for a balance wheel driven electric timepiece comprising: a front bearing plate; a rear bearing plate spaced from said front bearing plate; an intermediate bridge disposed between said plates; a generally cylindrical hour shaft mounted for rotation in said front bearing plate; an hour wheel coaxially mounted on one end of the hour shaft between the front bearing plate and the bridge for rotation with the hour shaft; a generally cylindrical minute shaft mounted for rotation within said hour shaft and in said bridge; a minute wheel and a minute pinion coaxially mounted on said minute shaft between the hour wheel and the bridge for rotation with the minute shaft; a second shaft mounted for rotation within said minute shaft and in said rear bearing plate; a second wheel and a second pinion coaxially mounted on the second shaft between the bridge and the rear bearing plate for rotation with the second shaft; an arbor extending between said plates in parallelism with said shafts and spaced laterally therefrom, said bridge partially embracing said arbor; a first intermediate wheel and pinion mechanism mounted for rotation on the axis of said arbor and mechanically iNterconnecting the second pinion and the minute wheel; a second intermediate wheel and pinion mechanism mounted for rotation on the axis of said arbor and mechanically interconnecting the minute pinion and the hour wheel, said mechanisms being relatively rotatable and disposed between the plates; and a balance wheel driven ratchet and stepping wheel mechanism rotatably mounted between said plates, said mechanism being connected to the second wheel for driving the latter to operate the entire movement. 